Merry Christmas and ...

Christmas Comes Early - LA Sign Three Brazilians on Loan from Sao Paulo

With the signing of these three young Brazilian players on loan, Galaxy fans have been treated to an early Christmas present. In addition, the timing of the announcement today is certainly a good omen as it is exactly a year ago that the club signed Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, who went on to have an impressive season including a top three finish in the Goalkeeper of the Year voting. Once again, Bruce Arena looks to deliver a christmas gift that will give back to our fans all season long.

Below is the news release...

The LA Galaxy announced today that they have acquired three players on loan from Sao Paulo FC of the Brazilian Campeonato for the 2010 MLS season. Alex, a 21-year-old left-sided player, Juninho, a 20-year-old central midfielder and Leonardo, a 21-year-old central defender each spent two weeks training with the Galaxy in October, giving the Galaxy coaching staff a chance to see the players in action first hand. Per team and league policy, details of the loan agreements were not disclosed. All three players will be officially added to the Galaxy roster upon the receipt of their P1 visas and International Transfer Clearances (ITC).

All three players have come through the youth ranks at Sao Paulo, having played on the team that won the Super Group of the 2007 Dallas Cup, defeating Real Madrid and Chelsea en route to the title. They were also all on loan earlier this year with Toledo in the First Division of the Brazilian Paraná Championship.

For complete details click here.

González Receives National Team Call-up

LA Galaxy defender Omar González has been called in to the U.S. National Team for their annual January camp that will be held at The Home Depot Center. González is one of 30 players called into the camp by U.S. National Team head coach Bob Bradley. A veteran of the U.S. Under-17 and Under-20 National Teams, this is the first time that González has been called into the full National Team.

The camp will begin on Monday, January 4 and run through the friendly against Honduras on Saturday, January 23 at The Home Depot Center.

Click here for the complete release.

Awards Haul Continues for Landon

After already claiming the MLS MVP award, scoring the MLS Goal of the Year, winning the Galaxy's Golden Boot for the fifth straight year as the club's top scorer, the team MVP award and a host of other prizes for his play with the Galaxy, as well as the Honda Player of the Year award as the top player with the U.S. National Team, Galaxy captain Landon Donovan has now added a triumvirate of other awards from the folks at U.S. Soccer.

After claiming the Best Goal and Best Assist awards last week in the annual Best of U.S. Soccer voting at ussoccer.com, the 27-year old has now been named the 2009 U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year. You can learn more about the award here while also seeing a video of Landon thanking everyone who made this honor possible.

So Galaxy fans, join us in congratulating Landon Donovan, the 2009 U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year.

Loking Back at the Fantasy Camp: The Final Chapter

On Monday we introduced you to James Rotondi from The Huffington Post who took part in this year's Galaxy Adult Fantasy Camp.

He checked in with part one of his experience here, and now he has penned the dramatic conclusion to his recap of the event. Check it out here.

A Look Back at Yesterday's Press Conference at the ESPN Zone

Yesterday was a truly memorable day for everyone associated with the Galaxy as Landon signed his new four-year contract with the club. With most arriving at the ESPN Zone yesterday expecting to be told of the completion of a long rumored loan to Everton, the Galaxy fans in attendance were noticeably ecstatic at learning the news that the Captain had signed on for four more years.

If you were not at the press conference and didn't get to see the live stream on lagalaxy.com, you can re-live all the action here. If you were there, you will surely recognize this video, as the highlight reel that was played before the announcement.


Also, check out this video for some more words and reaction from the man himself right after the presser.


After speaking to reporters, signing some autographs for fans and soaking in the moment, Landon made the quick walk upstairs to the ESPN Radio studios to sit down with Mychal Thompson and Andrew Siciliano on LA Sports Live. Give a listen to what he had to say.

To round out the day, Landon called-in to the Jorge Ramos y su Banda radio show, which is simulcast on TV at the same time. Dust off your Spanish and give a listen, er, watch the interview.

Tall, Blonde and British

Known for bending it, David Beckham was styling it last night on the set of Lopez Tonight.

David, who told George he styles his own hair, picked up a pair of scissors and gave the host a faux hawk.

Check it out...



You can catch a full recap of last night's Lopez Tonight episode and two extra videos of George's interview with David at lopeztonight.com.

Landon Donovan Signs New Four-Year Contract with the Galaxy

Click here to watch the press conference live.

And read about the announcement here.

Press Conference Tomorrow at ESPN Zone

The Galaxy announced today that the club will hold a press conference with Bruce Arena and Landon Donovan tomorrow afternoon at the ESPN Zone. No hints on what the announcement will be, but Galaxy fans will want to stay close to their computers or Blackberries in order to get the news as soon as it is made public.

Unfortunately this event is not open to the general public, but you will be able to follow all the action live here and on lagalaxy.com.

Let the speculation begin!

Looking Back at The Supporters Holiday Party

While the blog staff was not there, Galaxy Account Executive Chris Thomas was there and has agreed to share his story with you guys.

This Saturday, the Los Angeles Riot Squad and the Angel City Brigade teamed up as LAX United to host a first annual Holiday Party. The event took place at the supporters groups' favorite haunt, the Off Campus Pup (located right across the street from The Home Depot Center) and the party provided an opportunity to reflect on what was an eventful and successful year for the club and their supporters.

The event was more than just a night of holiday merry making, the party was all for a good cause too. The groups raffled off cool prizes, including a Galaxy signed ball, a Galaxy signed jersey, a VIP ticket package to next season's home opener, a Blackberry and gift certificates for supporters group merchandise. Along with the proceeds from the raffle, the groups collected toys for the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots drive. Through the party, the supporters raised well over $300 and donated over 150 new and unwrapped toys.

Entertainment for the party was provided by DJ's and local band the Fighting Tigers. There was also a potluck and various light hearted competitions between the two groups, including a surprisingly heated game of foosball won by the Riot Squad, and of course, LA Galaxy chants.

Many thanks must go to the Riot Squad's Jeff Skinner who organized the event and had to drive home with his pickup truck completely full of children's toys. This will be one of many off season activities for the Galaxy's most die hard fans and they cannot wait for next season to begin.

Tristan Bowen Named in U.S. U-20 Team

Galaxy forward Tristan Bowen has been included in the United States Under-20 National Team that will train from December 16-23 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. This is the first training camp of new two-year cycle and is made up exclusively of players born in 1991 or later, making them eligible for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia.

Click here to see the full squad.

Bowen signed with the Galaxy in November 2008 and made his MLS debut on June 20 at San Jose, coming on as a late-game replacement for Chris Klein. A veteran of the U.S. Under-18 and Under-20 National Teams, Bowen also spent time last season on loan with Hollywood United of the PDL and Miami FC of the USL First Division.

Galaxy Adult Fantasy Camp: A First-Hand Account

James Rotondi is a New York based actor, musician, critic and journalist who contributes frequently to The Huffington Post. He is also a soccer fan who made his way to The Home Depot Center last week for the fifth annual Galaxy Adult Fantasy Camp.

He wrote about his experience for The Huffington Post and you can read all about it here. This is just part one of his journey, so be sure to check back in the coming days for James' views on the camp's conclusion.

Club Statement on Potential Loan Move for Landon Donovan

The following statement is from the Galaxy regarding the current speculation on a potential loan move for the club's captain Landon Donovan.

We are aware of Everton’s interest in Landon Donovan, as they are one of a number of clubs who have contacted the Galaxy about the possibility of a short term loan agreement for Landon. The Galaxy, MLS and Landon’s representative will work together to determine if and whether an arrangement with Everton or any other club would be beneficial to all parties.

Looking Back At The World Cup Draw (Video)

Last week, we presented you with some text and pictures in color of the event.

Today, we give you video. Enjoy...



Now that you've had some time to think about it, what are your overall thoughts on the draw? Is Group G the Group of Death, or is it Group D? What's the best match up in group play-- U.S. vs England, Brazil-Portugal, or other?

Academy Teams Wrap Up Winter Showcase Today

The LA Galaxy Academy Teams will complete their stay at the 2009 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase in Phoenix this afternoon. Both the U-16 and U-18 teams have played two games heading into today's game, with the 16's tallying a 1-1-0 record, while the 18's are 0-1-1 heading into today's game.

Both teams opened the Showcase on Saturday evening with the U-16's getting off on the right foot with a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the New York Red Bulls. The Red Bulls were up 2-0 inside the opening 20 minutes, but Scott Cohen pulled one back for the Galaxy just before halftime. LA was able to carry that momentum over into the second half with Dyllan Stevens scoring the equalizer ten minutes after the re-start. Stevens put the Galaxy in front seven minutes later and they were able to hold on for the win.

It was a similar scene later in the day when the Galaxy U-18's opened up play against FC Dallas. LA once again started slow, falling behind 3-0 after 20 minutes. Christian Alvarado got the Galaxy on the board early in the second half, but they were unable to further cut into the Dallas lead and fell 3-1.

After a day off on Sunday, both teams were back in action on Monday afternoon taking on New Jersey-based club PDA. The U-18's got their first point of the trip, claiming a 1-1 draw thanks to a 67th minute goal from Riley Wolfe. The Galaxy went into halftime trailing 1-0 before Wolfe struck his equalizer.

The U-16's were not so lucky against PDA as they were unable to overcome a 1-0 halftime deficit and lost by the same scoreline.

Both teams kick-off their final game of the Showcase later this afternoon, with the U-16's taking on Texas SC and the U-18's playing an Academy Select team, which is made up of some of the nation’s top youth players from Development Academy clubs.

Former Galaxy Academy player Eric Gonzalez was also in action in Phoenix, playing two games with the U.S. Under-17 National Team in the Nike International Friendlies. Gonzalez came off the bench to play the final 54 minutes of his team's 2-1 loss to Portugal on Friday. A day later, Gonzalez was in the starting lineup for the 1-1 draw against Brazil. The U.S. completed their trip to Phoenix last night with a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands, with Gonzalez on the bench for that game.

A midfielder from Corona, Calif., Gonzalez played for the Galaxy Academy last season before being invited into residency in Florida with the U-17 National Team.

'Tis the Season

On Sunday, the LA Galaxy donated soccer balls to the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier and also spent time with the children, including an impromptu kickaround that went to penalty kicks.

The donation was made in support of Ryan Seacrest’s 12 Days of Giving Campaign on 102.7 KIIS FM.

LA Galaxy forward Edson Buddle, defenders Sean Franklin and Tony Sanneh donated soccer balls, as well as took some time to sign autographs and pose for photos.

Here are some photos from the visit. You can find more photos on our Facebook page-- www.facebook.com/lagalaxy.

World Cup Draw Viewing Party Recap

The set was stage for dissapointment. According to most soccer experts, this morning's World Cup Draw was supposed to see the U.S. Men's National Team placed into the dreaded "Group of Death".

From possible nightmare to dream scenario.

U.S. and LA Galaxy fans, gathered at the ESPN Zone at L.A. Live to view the World Cup draw unfold live, jumped up in joy when the U.S. was placed in the same group with England. MLS vs. EPL?


Things only got better from there as Algeria and Slovenia were also placed into the same group as the U.S., Group C.



Unless they were Brazil or Germany fans, those in attendance likely left the Zone feeling good. And why not? They got a free breakfest and the luck of the draw. (Take a peek at the photo below of U.S. fans with Zakumi, South Africa's official mascot for the games. They seem to be in celebration-mode, right?)


Even though he was in New York, Landon Donovan chimed with his opinions about the draw. He quickly squashed any talk of a rivalry game between him and David Beckham.

"We've moved past the things we had problmes with," said the Galaxy captain and MLS MVP. "Now it will just be fun. The banter will be good."

Watch the full video, courtesy of MLSnet.com, below. Enjoy!

Live with Landon

Nike Soccer's Live with Landon event is on right now! You can't watch the event via USTREAM here on the blog.

What will he say about having to face Galaxy teammate David Beckham in the first game of the World Cup? What are his overall thoughts on the draw? Who's the group of death? You have to watch to find out.

Galaxy Academy Teams Ready for Winter Showcase

While the eyes of the soccer world were on South Africa (or at least their TVs which had people talking about the events transpiring in South Africa), the Galaxy Youth Academy teams were prepparing for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase in Phoenix.

Before we get to that, how about the host of current and former Galaxy faces that popped up throughout the three-hour telecast on ESPN2, with Alexi Lalas in the studio, Landon at Nevada Smith's (as well as making a host of other appearances throughout New York City) while David and Ruud Gullit were in attendance at the draw in Cape Town.

Much closer to home, Trevor James was preparing the U-16 and U-18 teams for their upcoming games in the Winter Showcase at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix. The teams trained last night on the stadium field at The Home Depot Center, with James being assisted by a number of local coaches, including former MLS Cup winner David Vaudreuil, the Galaxy U-18 coach, and former Galaxy midfielder Mike Munoz, who will be coaching the U-16's in Phoenix. Munoz will be standing in for the team's normal coach, Kenny Arena, who is with UCLA in North Carolina for the NCAA Tournament.
Click here for complete press release ahead of the team's trip and be sure to check out some more photos from last night's session below...

Following the Winter Showcase, the teams will not have a game for nearly two months before returning to action in early February. The 2009/10 Development Academy season ends in June.

Behind the Scenes at MLS Cup

All of you who follow this blog are familiar with the work that Troy Bardy does for This Week Inside the Galaxy. But during MLS Cup, he joined forces with a number of other top videographers from around the league to document every last second of the action both on and off the field.

The end result of all their work can be seen below. Hope you enjoy...minus the ending of course.

Donovan on the Draw

Landon stopped by the Bristol studios of the Worldwide Leader in Sports yesterday to talk with Bob Ley on Outside the Lines ahead of Friday's World Cup Draw in South Africa. In case you missed it, you can see the entirity of the interview below.



If that is not enough Landon in your life, you can chat with the Galaxy captain and some of his National Team teammates at 1 p.m. on Friday after the conclusion of the draw through a special chat through Facebook and Nike Soccer. Click here for more info on that chat.

Finally don't forget to vote for Landon, Galaxy U-20 goalkeeper Brian Perk in the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year awards. Landon is up for the Best Male Athlete award while Perk is nominated for the Best Young Male Athlete. Landon has also been nominated for the Best Goal, Best Assist, Best Performance: Player and Best Clutch Player award in the Best of U.S. Soccer awards. You can vote on all of these awards and many more here, with voting closing on December 13.

Two Days Out From World Cup Draw

The draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be held on Friday morning and as you already know, the Galaxy will be holding a viewing party at the ESPN Zone, starting at 9 a.m. If you have not yet sent your RSVP in to tsintern@lagalaxy.com, be sure to do so today.

If you cannot make it down to the ESPN Zone for this event, be sure to tune in to ESPN2 for all the action starting at 9 a.m. (PT).

Finally, if you cannot wait for Friday's draw and want to have one of your own, check out this simulator from our friends at Record in Mexico. It's all in Spanish but just click ENTRAR on the first page and then AUTOMATICO to see the draw play out in full. Who knows, the draw that you create today could become reality on Friday morning.

The Biggest Soccer Story of the Decade is...

According to Yahoo! Sports' Martin Rogers, the LA Galaxy's signing of David Beckham in 2007 ranks as the No. 2 biggest story of decade in the soccer world. "The Galaxy and MLS pulled off a spectacular coup by tempting Beckham to come to North America in a move designed to revolutionize soccer in the United States," Rogers wrote.

In reviewing the last 10 years in soccer, Rogers concluded that the biggest stories of the decade in the sport were (in descending order): Hope Solo's outburst in the 2007 Women's World Cup, match-fixing scandal in Italy, the Galacticos (I & II), Beckham and Zidane's headbutt in the final of the 2006 World Cup.

Fans can participate in the Yahoo! Sports poll and select what the biggest soccer story of the decade was. As of this post, Beckham was holding on to the No. 2 spot in the fan voting.

Other notable headlines could have been: Swing in the U.S.-Mexico rivalry, Spain winning EURO 2008 (¡Finalmente ganaron un torneo!), USMNT run in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, Barcelona's treble and explosion of the soccer specific venues in the U.S.

Watch the World Cup Draw at the ESPN Zone at LA Live

The Galaxy have once again joined forces with the ESPN Zone at LA Live to bring you an exciting opportunity to play hooky and catch some soccer.

The official draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup will be held on Friday morning and you can watch all of the action live at the ESPN Zone starting at 9 a.m.

Fans wishing to attend this event are asked to RSVP to the Galaxy Sales Staff at tsintern@lagalaxy.com. The first 100 people to send in their RSVPs will receive a complementary breakfast and a guaranteed seat for the event.

Click here for more information and be sure to send in your RSVPs soon!

Happy Thanksgiving

To all the Galaxy fans out there that read and visit the blog throughout the year, we would like to wish you all a very happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

Additionally, it's been a wild and exciting month for everyone associated with the Galaxy and as a result, we're going to take a couple of days off to reflect on an unforgettable season and begin to get ourselves ready for the 2010 campaign.

So enjoy your weekend and we'll be back in a few days.

Landon Donovan Nominated for U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year

Landon Donovan is one of five players who have been nominated as the U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year. The MLS MVP and Honda Player of the Year, Donovan will look to complete the hat trick of awards by winning the award for the third time.

The Galaxy captain is nominated alongside Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and Oguchi Onyewu. You can learn more about the award here while online voting for the award can be done here.

Curtain Officially Closed on 2009 Campaign

The players and coaches held their final meeting of the season yesterday at The Home Depot Center, officially closing the curtain on the 2009 campaign. Despite Sunday's loss, which still stings all of us, the guys were on good spirits as they emptied their lockers, got some last minute items signed by their teammates and generally wished everyone well. It's a day that is akin to the last day of school, where everyone parts ways knowing that they won't all be back together for a few months.

The media also made their way out to the stadium for the day to get some reaction after Sunday's loss, while also looking ahead to the 2010 season.

Here is what a few of the guys had to say.

Bruce...

Landon...

David...

Todd...

Chris...

Stefani Miglioranzi Selected in Expansion Draft; Two Players Waived

LA Galaxy midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi has been selected by the Philadelphia Union in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft. A 2008 MLS Cup winner with the Columbus Crew, Miglioranzi appeared in 23 games for the Galaxy this season, despite missing the final month of the regular season and the playoffs with a groin injury.

The Union will be the 16th MLS team when they begin play during the 2010 MLS season.

Miglioranzi began his MLS career with the Galaxy in 2006, signing with the club late in the season and appearing in three games before being traded to Columbus prior to the start of the 2007 season. The 32-year-old spent two seasons with the Crew, playing 37 games for the Crew, tallying three goals and three assists while helping lead the club to their first-ever MLS Cup championship in 2008.

He returned to the Galaxy in January, when the club acquired him from the Crew in exchange for a fourth round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. An NCAA champion at St. John’s, Miglioranzi tied a career-high with 23 games played while starting a career-best 20 games for the Galaxy this season. He was used primarily in the center of midfield this season, playing in front of an LA defense that allowed just 31 goals this season, exactly half the number of goals that they had allowed in 2008. Miglioranzi finished tied for second on the team with four yellow cards this season and was fourth on the team with 33 fouls committed.

Additionally, midfielder Kyle Patterson and defender Julian Valentin were waived by the club today.

Join us in thanking Julian, Kyle and Stefani for all their service to the Galaxy.

Protected Player List

The LA Galaxy today announced the club’s list of protected and unprotected players for Wednesday’s MLS Expansion Draft. Philadelphia Union, Major League Soccer’s sixteenth team, will be able to select 10 players in the draft, but may not select more than one from any of the other 15 MLS clubs. The expansion draft will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 25.

Each of the 15 teams that competed in MLS during the 2009 season were allowed to protect 11 players, leaving all others unprotected. Additionally, per the rules of the expansion draft, the Galaxy were only able to leave two of their five international players unprotected, meaning that three of the club’s 11 protected players are categorized as internationals.

The Galaxy selected the following 11 players to protect:

Protected
David Beckham – Midfielder (International Player)
Gregg Berhalter – Defender
Chris Birchall – Midfielder (International Player)
Edson Buddle – Forward
A.J. DeLaGarza – Defender
Landon Donovan – Forward
Sean Franklin – Defender
Omar Gonzalez – Defender
Dema Kovalenko – Midfielder
Mike Magee – Forward
Donovan Ricketts – Goalkeeper (International Player)

Additionally, forward Tristan Bowen was automatically protected as a member of the Generation adidas program. Omar Gonzalez, the 2009 MLS Rookie of the Year, was a Generation adidas player this season but has now graduated from the program.

That means that the following 14 Galaxy players will be available for selection by Philadelphia in Wednesday’s expansion draft:

Unprotected
Todd Dunivant – Defender
Alecko Eskandarian – Forward
Alan Gordon – Forward
Leonard Griffin – Defender
Bryan Jordan – Forward
Jovan Kirovski – Forward
Chris Klein – Defender
Eddie Lewis – Midfielder
Yohance Marshall – Defender (International Player)
Stefani Miglioranzi – Midfielder
Kyle Patterson – Midfielder (International Player)
Tony Sanneh – Defender
Josh Saunders – Goalkeeper
Julian Valentin – Defender

Galaxy Fall on Penalties in MLS Cup

LA Galaxy 1, Real Salt Lake 1 (Real Salt Lake Wins 5-4 on Penalty Kicks)
MLS Cup 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Qwest Field — Seattle, Wash.

Scoring Summary:
LA – Mike Magee 2 (Landon Donovan 1, David Beckham 1) 41’
RSL – Robbie Findley (Unassisted) 64’

Penalty Kicks:
LA – David Beckham (Goal) 1-0 LA
RSL – Clint Mathis (Goal) 1-1
LA – Gregg Berhalter (Goal) 2-1 LA
RSL – Robbie Findley (Goal) 2-2
LA – Jovan Kirovski (Save) 2-2
RSL – Kyle Beckerman (Save) 2-2
LA – Landon Donovan (High) 2-2
RSL – Ned Grabavoy (Goal) 3-2 RSL
LA – Mike Magee (Goal) 3-3
RSL – Andy Williams (Save) 3-3
LA – Chris Klein (Goal) 4-3 LA
RSL – Chris Wingert (Goal) 4-4
LA – Edson Buddle (Save) 4-4
RSL – Robbie Russell (Goal) 5-4 RSL

Misconduct Summary:
RSL – Will Johnson (Yellow Card) 14’
LA – Chris Birchall (Yellow Card) 39’

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Donovan Ricketts (Josh Saunders 66’), Todd Dunivant, Gregg Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez (A.J. DeLaGarza 89’), Sean Franklin, Chris Birchall (Chris Klein 79’), Jovan Kirovski, Landon Donovan©, David Beckham, Mike Magee, Edson Buddle.

Subs Not Used: Yohance Marshall, Dema Kovalenko, Eddie Lewis, Alan Gordon.

Real Salt Lake: Nick Rimando, Robbie Russell, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Chris Wingert, Kyle Beckerman©, Will Johnson (Ned Grabavoy 46’), Andy Williams, Javier Morales (Clint Mathis 22’), Robbie Findley, Yura Movsisyan (Fabian Espindola 75’).

Subs Not Used: Chris Seitz, Tony Beltran, Jean Alexandre, Pablo Campos.

Notes:
• With the loss, the Galaxy are now 2-4 all-time in MLS Cup, winning in 2002 and 2005 while losing in 1996, 1999, 2001 and now 2009.
• Tonight’s game was the fifth time in the Galaxy’s six trips to MLS Cup that the game went to extratime. LA lost in extratime in 1996 and 2001, while winning in 2002 and 2005.
• This was the second time in league history that the MLS Cup went to penalty kicks and the first time that the Galaxy have ever gone to penalty kicks in an MLS match. LA did lose on penalties in the final of the 2007 SuperLiga and the 2009 Pan-Pacific Championship.
• The Galaxy entered tonight’s game with 11 of the club’s 31 players and coaches having won an MLS Cup at some point of their career. Of those players, Landon Donovan had the most Cup victories with three, winning in 2001, 2003 and 2005.
• This was the first-ever postseason game between the Galaxy and the Real Salt Lake.
• The two teams met twice in the regular season, playing to a 2-2 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium on May 6 and RSL winning 2-0 at The Home Depot Center on June 13, snapping the Galaxy’s 10-game unbeaten streak.
• Bruce Arena made three changes to the team that beat the Houston Dynamo 2-0 in the Western Conference Championship on November 13. Todd Dunivant returns from an illness to replace A.J. DeLaGarza at left back, Chris Birchall replaces Dema Kovalenko in central midfield and Jovan Kirovski replaced Chris Klein in the midfield as well. DeLaGarza, Klein and Kovalenko all started the game on the bench.
• However, the Galaxy were without Alecko Eskandarian, Stefani Miglioranzi and Julian Valentin, who all missed the game through injury.
• Mike Magee scored his second goal of the postseason in the 41st minute to give LA a 1-0 lead.
• Landon Donovan and David Beckham each assisted on the goal. Those were the Galaxy’s first assists of the postseason as each of the first five goals LA scored in the playoffs were unassisted.
• This was the first time all season that the Galaxy did not win a game in which they scored the game’s first goal. They had been 2-0-0 in the postseason and 12-0-1 in the regular season.
• Chris Birchall was booked in the first half of tonight’s game. It was his second yellow card in two games this postseason. He collected his two yellow cards in nine regular season games.
• Former Galaxy forward Robbie Findley tied the score for Real Salt Lake in the 64th minute. That goal snapped the Galaxy’s string of 314 consecutive minutes played in the postseason without allowing a goal.
• Donovan Ricketts suffered a right hand contusion early in the second half of the game but remained on the field until the 66th minute. He made two saves before being replaced by Josh Saunders.
• This was the third time this season that Saunders entered a game for an injured Donovan Ricketts. Saunders came on midway through the first half of the 1-1 draw at Kansas City on July 25 and late in the 2-0 win at Chicago on August 19.
• Saunders made his MLS postseason debut in the game, making one save in his 54 minute on the field.
• The Galaxy’s goalkeeping substitution was the first substitution of a goalkeeper in MLS Cup history.
• All three of Real Salt Lake’s former Galaxy players played in the game, with Findley starting and Ned Grabavoy and Clint Mathis each coming off the bench. Just one of the Galaxy’s three former Real Salt Lake players entered the game, with Chris Klein replacing Chris Birchall in the 79th minute.
• A.J. DeLaGarza replaced Omar Gonzalez in the 89th minute. It was just the second time this season that the Gonzalez did not play the match in its entirety.
• Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made his full complement of three substitutions in all 30 regular season games and all four postseason games this year.
• Landon Donovan and Robbie Findley finished as the joint top scorers in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs, each finishing with three goals. Donovan scored in each of the first three of the Galaxy’s postseason games.
• The attendance for today’s game was 46,011, making it the fourth biggest crowd in MLS Cup history and the largest since 2002.
• For more about today’s game, please visit www.lagalaxy.com.

We're Here

The team arrived at the stadium (looking dapper in their Tommy Hilfiger suits might we say) and is on the field for pregame warmups.

It's a cold night here is in Seattle, but that has not dettered the fans who continue to pile into the stadium in droves.

There are three changes for the Galaxy who will look to win the third MLS Cup in club history. A.J. DeLaGarza, Chris Klein and Dema Kovalenko return to the bench. They are replaced by Chris Birchall, Todd Dunivant and Jovan Kirovski. Here is the full team that Bruce Arena will put out on the field.

--------------Buddle-------Magee-------------

Donovan-----------Kirovski-----------Beckham

--------------------Birchall---------------------

Dunivant------Berhalter---Gonzalez----Franklin

--------------------Ricketts---------------------

Subs: Saunders, Marshall, DeLaGarza, Kovalenko, Lewis, Klein and Gordon.

For Jason Kreis and Real Salt Lake, here is the team that they will put out onto the field.

-----------------Findley----Movsisyan------------

----------------------Morales---------------------

------------Johnson--------------Williams---------

----------------------Beckerman-------------------

Wingert--------Borchers------Olave---------Russell

------------------------Rimando--------------------

Subs: Seitz, Beltran, Alexandre, Grabavoy, Mathis, Espinndola, Campos

Ready for Real

It's game day and there is no doubt about it; the guys are ready.

Looking Good

Kick off is just about 24 hours away and everything is set. The team will go over the final gameplan tonight and tomorrow morning but there is no more work to be done on the field until Kevin Stott blows the whistle blows to kick off MLS Cup 2009.

In fact, more than 10 months after holding their first practice of the season, the Galaxy held their final one of the year today.

Here are some images from that session.




The guys were all bundled up today in their training gear, with some adding gloves and winter hats to their wardrobe. But that is not something that anyone will need to worry about come tomorrow afternoon when the team makes their way to the stadium thanks to the good folks at Tommy Hilfiger. One of America's top designers, Tommy has provided the club with their official match day suit for tomorrow's game. All of the players were fitted for the suits upon arriving in Seattle on Thursday and will debut them tomorrow before the game.

Here's to hoping that there is some extra luck packed into the pockets.

Back at Practice

Morning Reading

A little light reading to go along with your morning coffee and TV.

The Los Angeles Times has a quick breakdown of Sunday's game, while from Seattle, Grahame Jones looks at the state of MLS heading into the league's 14th championship game.

Phil Collin from the Daily Breeze is also on the ground in Seattle and he caught up with Donovan Ricketts after Friday's practice and gave the Galaxy shotstopper a chance to take a friendly jab at Gregg Berhalter in the process. Phil's partner in crime over at the Daily Breeze is Nick Green, who may not be in Seattle, but keeps the news coming over at 100 Percent Soccer.

For an east coast perspective on the Galaxy, specifically the club's two rookie defenders, read Steve Goff's feature of A.J. and Omar.

Over at MLSnet.com, Jeff Carlisle has more with the Galaxy's Jamaican goalkeeper, Larry Morgan speaks with a few of the 11 Galaxy players and coaches that have won an MLS Cup, Steve Davis talks about the sizzle factor of David and Landon, Morgan and Carlisle team up to put together an in depth notebook featuring a number of interesting items, Michael Lewis looks at Dave Sarchan, the yin to Bruce Arena's yang. And MLSnet.com has the game guide with all the numbers and stats heading into tomorrow's game.

If you want to read more article's like these, be sure to visit the MLS Newsstand for all the latest.

And if just listening to Dan Patrick with David Beckham yesterday was not enough, now you can see two minutes of the show from The 101 on DirecTV.

Finally, don't forget that if you cannot be in attendance at today's Supporter's Summit here in Seattle, you can follow all of the action live on MLSnet.com starting at 1 p.m.

Something Fishy

We teased this a bit yesterday, but now you can see all the action from Alan Gordon's trip down to Pike Place to throw some fish. One of the many locally themed events that go on surrounding MLS Cup, helping to build up the game's hype locally, Gordo and RSL's Chris Seitz took a lesson and quickly perfected the art of fish throwing and catching. A large crowd, including the ESPN broadcast crew of J.P. Dellacamera and John Harkes, was on hand to cheer Gordo on, but amongst the sea of fans, it was four familiar faces that made Gordo the most nervous. Leo, Stefani, Josh and Julian all made their way down to the market to watch all of the action live. Here is what Gordo and Seitz had to say about the event. But we wanted to get a bit more from Gordo, so we stopped him at the hotel this morning to get his thoughts on what had just gone down.

Meet Up with Fellow Galaxy Fans

Galaxy fans that have made the trip to Seattle are invited on Sunday to make their way to the HawksNest Bar and Grill, which will be the official LA Galaxy bar for the weekend. All of the club's supporters and much of the front office (maybe even the blog staff!) will be in attendance starting at 11 a.m. as fans count down the hours until the kick off of MLS Cup 2009 from Qwest Field.

The HawksNest is located at 1028 1st Avenue in Seattle and will be offering a number of deals all day long for Galaxy fans, including some $3 beers.

Click here to visit the official website of the HawksNest and we hope to see you there on Sunday.

Additionally, if you're stuck in LA for the game, be sure to make it to one of the Galaxy's seven official viewing parties throughout the Southland. Click here for a full list of locations.

Gone Fishin'

We'll have much more on this tomorrow morning. But for now, use your imagination.

Meeting the Media

After training today, the Galaxy met en masse with the media, with nearly every player stopping to answer at least some questions from some reporter from some outlet from some corner of the globe. Bruce Arena was the most popular quote, while veterans like Chris Klein, goalscoring hero Gregg Berhalter and the soft-spoken Donovan Ricketts all drew a big crowd as well.
Of course the two people that everyone wanted to speak with were David Beckham and Landon Donovan, who were the featured speakers at the prematch press conference, following Real Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando. You can see the full video of the press conference here, or read the transcript here.

In addition to the press conference, those two popped up on a number of local and national radio shows today, in addition to meeting with the host broadcasters ESPN and Galavision.

David popped up on the Colin Cowherd Show on ESPN Radio, as well as the Dan Patrick Show. Speaking of the Dan Patrick Show, if you can't make it out to Seattle for Sunday's game and you're watching at home, be sure to join the show's producer Paul Pabst, a great friend of and supporter of the Galaxy for a live chat in the Dan Patrick Show Locker Room.

Landon also popped up on ESPN Radio in Los Angeles, taking live with the Mason and Ireland Show. He will also be a guest on the Tony Bruno Show on Fox Sports Radio, which airs on AM 570 tonight at 8:30 p.m.

Heating Up

A blast of cold and rain greeted the Galaxy as they made their way over to Qwest Field this afternoon for their first training session on site here in Seattle. The rain seemed to dissipate a bit when the guys hit the field, but as soon the guys got onto the bus, the weather kicked back up, making for a slow ride back to the hotel.

Be sure to head over to mlsnet.com to check out the archived footage of today's press conferences for both sides, featuring Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando from Real Salt Lake and David and Landon from our side. You can also read all the latest news about Sunday's game there and some amazing fresh video, as well as at lagalaxy.com and lagalaxyfutbol.com. Larry Morgan and Armando Varela are on the ground and embedded with the club here in Seattle, while Mark Rogondino chimes in with his final View from the Booth of the season.

As we type this, the sun is trying to fight its way through the clouds, meaning that we could have some nice weather for this afternoon's special event featuring Alan Gordon and SoCal native Chris Seitz from Real Salt Lake, who will be making their way down to Pike's Place Market to take part in a traditional "fish toss". The event will happen at 4 p.m. (PT) if you're in Seattle already, but if you're not, be sure to come back here later in the day to see what it was all about.

If you don't know what the fish toss is, check it out below.

Wheels Up, Wheels Down; Ready to Roll in Seattle

After today's training session the guys all made their way over to LAX for this afternoon's flight to Seattle. The rash of delays caused by an FAA computer glitch had no effect on the team's charter flight up here to Seattle, with the guys all boarding the plane in good spirits under sunny skies.

A variety of snacks, sandwiches, water and Gatorade awaited the guys on board, but most were content to read a book or catch a few hours of sleep on the way up to the Emerald City.

Three hours later, we were on the ground and straight from the plane to the bus which would take us over to the team's hotel.

Raul Vargas and Igor Pierra from the club's equipment staff made sure that all the bags made it from one mode of transportation to the other, while many of the guys did what they do on all bus trips, play cards.

Once at the hotel, all the guys received their room keys and signed a number of items for the league while also picking up a gift bag that included and MLS Cup scarf, beanie, rain jacket and pin. That was it for the guys who all headed off to dinner and then back into their rooms and out of the wet, cold Seattle night.

The work continues tomorrow with the club's first practice in Seattle and won;t stop until late in the Washington night on Sunday.

One final note, Alecko might be up here in Seattle with us now, but you can catch him join Sounders owner Drew Carey on The Price is Right on Friday morning. In an episode that was taped a few weeks ago, Eskandarian helps to give one lucky Showcase winner an unbelievable trip to MLS Cup. Be sure to tune in to CBS tomorrow morning (10 a.m. in LA) to see who the lucky winner will be.